Ex-NBA star Darryl Dawkins, aka ‘Chocolate Thunder’ has died

Darryl Dawkins died Thursday at a hospital in Allentown, Pennsylvania, according to the Lehigh County coroner’s office. He was 58, and even though officials said an autopsy would be performed on Friday his family released a statement saying the cause of death was a heart attack. “Darryl touched the hearts and spirits of so many with his big smile and personality, ferocious dunks, but more than anything, his huge, loving heart,” his family said. “More than anything Darryl accomplished in his basketball career as the inimitable ‘Chocolate Thunder,’ he was most proud of his role and responsibility as a husband and father,” his family added. Dawkins, the first player to go from high school into the first round of the NBA draft, spent parts of 14 seasons in the NBA. – AP